Oostanaula Methodist
Floyd County | Organized in 1871
According to a local newspaper article, Oostanaula United Methodist Church was once one of the smallest congregations in Floyd County. At one time, only five members attended services, and pastors from other churches traveled in to lead worship. Today, the 144-year-old church on Battey Farm Road has experienced a revival, with Sunday attendance now averaging 60 to 70 people.
Read more...Methodist archives record that an indenture was made on November 29, 1871, by Solomon L. and Joanna E. Pope, formerly of Crawford, Georgia. Charter members included Jonathan Cowan, Caleb White, Marcellus L. Troutman, Henry B. Pope, Andrew J. Watters, James S. Troutman, and S. J. Henley, along with Mr. and Mrs. H. L. Pope. The Pope family donated the land for both the church and the cemetery. Local history also connects Solomon and Joanna Pope to Joanna Troutman Pope, celebrated as the “Betsy Ross of Texas” and the “Lady of Goliad.” In 1835, 150 soldiers from middle Georgia marched to Texas to aid in the fight for independence from Mexico. When they passed through Knoxville, Georgia, 17-year-old Joanna, the daughter of Colonel and Mrs. Hiram Baldwin Troutman, presented them with a Lone Star flag she had sewn from her silk skirts. The flag was given to Colonel William Ward on the steps of the Troutman Inn, later known as the Harris Hotel.
That flag flew during the Battle of Goliad and was later recognized as an early version of Texas’s official flag. Today, Joanna Troutman rests in Austin, Texas, beside a bronze statue of herself sculpted by Pompeo Coppini, a lasting tribute to her role in Texas history. From its humble beginnings to its renewed vitality, Oostanaula United Methodist Church continues to stand as both a house of worship and a keeper of remarkable stories that reach far beyond Floyd County.
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4 responses to “Oostanaula Methodist”
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Do you have burial records from the early 1900s? I am looking for the final resting place of Arah Anne Peeples Duncan who died circa 1913 and her husband, William Joseph Duncan, who died circa 1917. I found one note online saying that Arah was buried at Pope’s Chapel (now called Oostanaula Methodist), but it didn’t list a source. Thank you for your help!
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Hi Amber. We don’t have access to the burial records (if they exist) but have you tried FindAgrave.com yet to see if you can find them included there?
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Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church in Forsyth County Georgia was established in 1871. We are a small congregation with 70 to 80 people attending each Sunday. Plans are being made to celebrate the church’s 150 year anniversary May 2, 2021. Throughout the years, members of the congregation have written down stories of the founding fathers, pastors, missions and other stories. The church buildings have been renovated. The church campus includes the sanctuary, clubhouse, fellowship hall, parsonage and a cemetery. it is my hope that a formal book can be written to include the important facts and remember the treasures of the church. Does your organization have a template for how to write a book about the history of a church?
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We do not but that is a wonderful effort you are making. We will ask around and get back to you if we find something. Good luck on a worthwhile endeavor.
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